Affiliations: Department of Biochemistry, Lady Hardinge Medical
College and Associated hospitals, New Delhi, India | Department of Medicine, Lady Hardinge Medical College
and Associated hospitals, New Delhi, India
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Dr. Vandana Saini, A-2/608,
MilanVihar apartments, I.P. Extension, Patparganj, New Delhi-110092, India.
E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract: The endothelial dysfunction has been implicated as a major event in
the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Therefore, this study was planned to
determine (a) role of endothelium-derived nitric oxide (NO) and endothelin as
coronary artery disease (CAD) risk markers and (b) intergenotypic variation of
endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) Glu298Asp polymorphism in CAD.The
endothelin, NO and eNOS genotypes were determined in 60 patients with
documented history of CAD. These were compared with 50 age- and sex- matched
healthy controls. The genotype frequencies for eNOS gene polymorphism were
determined by PCR and RFLP. The plasma endothelin in CAD patients was
significantly higher (p< 0.001) whereas, the NO level in CAD group was
significantly lower (p< 0.001) than the control group. The genotype
frequencies for Glu298/Asp (Glu/Glu and Glu/Asp) genotypes were 75% and 25% in
CAD subjects and 88% and 12% in control subjects, respectively. No Asp/Asp was
found in any of the groups. The genotype frequencies differed significantly
(p< 0.05) between the controls and cases. In conclusion, endothelin and NO
may be used as markers of endothelial dysfunction in CAD. Asp allele might be a
risk factor for CAD in the North Indian population.
